Tugboats have a certain romantic appeal. They pull ships out of trouble, stabilize crafts in storms, take barges to distant destinations and guide giant vessels in and out of port. Powerful little tugs are dwarfed by their much larger charges. The 170 year old tugboat industry has been “sleepy” since a tax-sheltered building boom in the 1970s. Now the N.Y. Times reports that demand for new tugboats is booming. Shipyards are at capacity with a two-year wait for a new tug, and towing companies are building their own boats to keep up. Smaller, more powerful tugboats are needed for larger container ships and the new mandate for double-hulled petroleum barges. And “Moran Towing is trying to lure young crew members by equipping its new tugs with DVD players, flat-screen televisions, high-speed Internet connections and more comfortable beds.”